A just-released audience survey has revealed that the majority of listeners to the Toronto outlet of CBC Radio One are white, middle-class, avid gardeners, and like listening to MOR (Middle of the Road) music.

Unfortunately for them, and for the CBC, the local programmes aired on the Toronto station -- particularly in the morning and afternoon "drive time" slots -- are aimed squarely at Toronto's vizmins. As Walt reported previously, CBC's Metro Morning and Here and Now have been ordered to make their programmes "sound the way Toronto looks".

That means a steady diet of rap, reggae and hip hop. (Notice I didn't say "music".) It also means that the producers will not rest until every living, breathing vizmin and LGBT spokesthingy has been given 5 or 10 minutes to preach the gospel of diversity and political correctness. No wonder that the neglected white audience tunes in for the news and weather and promptly tunes out again.

Now, Walt can reveal, the CBC has come up with an answer to the many complaints of its former listeners. Those who don't like the sound of TMN Toronto are being advised to relocate to western or eastern Ontario, where they can be served by local broadcasts originating in Windsor, London or Ottawa.

Said Managing Director Susan Marjerine, "Naturally, there will be protests from the usual 'Fed Up in Rosedale' dinosaurs, but they must be ignored in the cause of building a diversity template that reflects our multicultural Toronto audience demographic."

Asked what she meant by that, Ms Marjerine replied that she had no idea and would get back to Walt next week.

Communications reaching Walt -- walt.whiteman@yahoo.com -- suggest that some of you don't have enough to think about! To remedy that problem, Walt offers

Something to think about when you're walking through the parkHave you ever seen a baby pigeon? No? Do you know anyone who has ever seen a baby pigeon? No? Well, suppose the ones you see shitting on the statues are the babies. One day their parents will return....

Something to think about in the elevatorYou've heard it said (and truly) that every man has his price. What do you suppose the price of a poorly paid civil servant might be? Take an elevator inspector, for instance. How much would it take to get him to overlook a slightly frayed cable?

Something to think about while you're eating roast porkDo you want some apple sauce with that? It stands to reason that the best apples would be sold in the supermarket, not put into the sauce, right? So....

With all the interest in current events in Africa, Walt has been spending a little more time looking at African news websites. Amongst the routine stories of incompetence, corruption, oppression and revolution, one often finds accounts of truly bizarre occurrences or ideas. That's Africa.

From Afrik-News comes a report that the government of Malawi has introduced a raft of legislation that seeks to "mould responsible and disciple citizens" [sic] by punishing people who pretend to be fortune tellers, hinder the burial of dead bodies, or ... errr ... "pass gas" in public.

The Local Courts Bill, the story says, also seeks to punish "any person disturbing religious assemblies, trespassing on burial places, or insulting the modesty of a woman". The bill will cover other offenses including the carrying of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, fighting in public, challenging to fight a duel, deceiving witnesses, destroying evidence, escape and removal of property under lawful seizure.

Commenting on the bill, an Malawian is quoted by Afrik-News as saying: "How can this government criminalise the release of intestinal gases? Everyone does that, even if it’s in public or it has an accompanying sound which is boring, making it criminal is a joke of democracy."

Another said he "support(s) the bill and is welcome. Sometimes breaking wind in public or during meetings is a disturbance of the peace".

A Member of Parliament is quoted in the British satirical magazine Private Eye: "I had better hand myself over to the police or something, because I just this very second fouled the air while I was laughing at this proposal. Why should fouling the air take priority over corruption amongst legislators or the regulation of Chinese investments? I cannot understand this obsession with farting."

Strategy conclusion: If you're planning on visiting Malawi, stick a cork in it!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

In previous posts I've been highly critical of the autocratic government of Comrade Robert Mugabe, who rules the African almost-failed state of Zimbabwe with an iron hand. To call "Uncle Bob" a dictator is not overstating the case.

Comrade Bob and his cronies and hangers-on are understandably nervous -- OK, afraid! -- of the present unrest in northern Africa. Zimbabwe is not a Muslim country, but the demonstrations and uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and now Bahrain, Algeria and Libya, are not about religion so much as economics. The protesters are fed up with misrule -- the incompetence and corruption which are impoverishing all but the rulers, and over which the ruled have no say.

Dictatorships around the world are doing their utmost to keep their subjects from following the lead of the Arabs. They are clamping down on the media, not that the press was ever free in places like China. And above all, they are trying to shut down the Internet, which has been the most powerful Voice of Change in the events of the last month.

The lords of misrule reason that if they can keep people from talking about democracy and "government of the people, by the people and for the people", the seeds of revolution will not germinate. Thus the campaign of Mugabe's government to keep people from talking about the events "up north". Not only must the people not speak, they must not listen, or even think about such things!

Earlier this week, about four dozen Zimbabweans who had gathered to watch the news on a satellite TV hookup were arrested for doing just that -- watching the news. On Wednseday, these "political activists" were charged with nothing less than treason!

What did they do? According to the police, they were "plotting anti-government protests". While watching the videos, it is alleged, they discussed organizing similar demonstrations in Zimbabwe.The charge carries a punishment of death by hanging. In Zimbabwe such sentences are actually carried out, and strange fruit hangs from the trees.

Defence lawyers have said the accused -- trade unionists and student leaders for the most part -- were in an academic debate on African politics when police arrested them. They will plead not guilty to the treason charges and hope that they will receive a fair trial. Meanwhile, the sound of hammers and saws is heard in the jailhouse courtyard.

Footnote: The arrests have been reported in American and Canadian newspapers. However, NewsDay, the leading (well...only) independent daily in Zimbabwe, has been silent [silenced, surely. Ed.] on the matter.

Monday, February 21, 2011

It has for some time been politically incorrect in Toronto to describe suspects in a violent crime as "speaking with Jamaican accents". In fact, some of the lamestream media try to avoid even mentioning that the perps are black, as is almost always the case.

It doesn't do much good, though, to appeal to the public to call if they have any information about "men", with no other descriptors. Besides, people jump to their own conclusions, awaiting only the confirmation when an arrest is made and the accused is seen being shoved into the back of a cruiser.

Perhaps the Toronto Star has realized that political correctness doesn't change the facts or help the authorities bring criminals to book. Today the oh-so-liberal Star reported on the murder of a 16-year-old in a broad-daylight home invasion as follows.

"Police describe the suspects as 5-foot-9 to 6-feet black men with Jamaican accents."

The description fits 1000s of Torontonians, hundreds of whom are already languishing in Toronto area jails, but one hopes it's the beginning of the end of denying the truth.

Footnote: Agent 3 reports that CBC's ultra-PC Toronto radio station broadcast the police press conference as it happened, omitting only the first ten seconds in which the words "black men with Jamaican accents" were used.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

This is the Maghreb, the western or "sunset" countries of North Africa. They are all Arabic countries, all Muslim. And many of them, along with next-door Egpt and other Arabic Muslim countries of the middle east, are in turmoil.

But the unrest -- dare we say revolution? -- won't easily spread through sub-Saharan Africa, even though countries such as the Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe are poverty-stricken, chaotic and ruled by corrupt and incompetent "Big Men" who would seem to be ripe for the picking...or should we say "shooting".

Revolution is often a luxury of an educated middle class, and much of Africa is too rural and too poor to sustain a national uprising. Dictators in sub-Saharan Africa often defend their power through a politically loyal military – in contrast to Egypt, where the troops tolerated protest.

Technology is another factor: Internet access is still relatively low in most of Africa, making it harder to organize protest. And the ethnic and religious rifts in many African countries are a huge obstacle to the organization of national protests.

Forcus on that last sentence, please, because it's the key to understanding Africa. York is saying, in another what, what V.S. Naipaul said in The Masque of Africa, reviewed here earlier this week.

The problem ... make that a problem with Africa is the culture of Africa. Underneath a thin veneer of western civilization [Is that not an oxymoron? Ed.] you find the real Africa, bedevilled by tribalism, supserstition and ignorance.

All the goodwill and foreign aid we keep throwing into the Dark Continent is not going to change that. The only hope is that the Africans will change themselves -- evolve, in other words -- and that will take centuries. Don't hold your breath.

A strange-looking object, believed to be a goblin, became the centre of attraction for scores of Chitungwiza residents near Makoni Shopping Centre on Friday morning.

The goblin, which had a cone-shaped horn with what looked like human hair attached to it with red, black and white beads, was spotted by a woman who said she had gone to throw away rubbish at a nearby dump site.

According to the woman who claimed to have seen the goblin first, it was removed from a bag of mealie-meal by street kids.

“I was coming to throw rubbish away when I saw that thing (goblin) which street kids nearby said they had taken out of a 10kg mealie-meal bag as they wanted to use the mealie-meal to cook sadza,” the woman said. “That’s when I started calling people to come and see.”

A local man, Rangarirai Mutomba, emerged from the crowd and left people dumbfounded when he lifted the goblin and said such things were the source of suffering for a lot of people before ripping it apart and exposing its insides filled with reddish powder.

“People should not believe in these things. God is there and he is the only one who can answer your problems, no one else. I don’t know why people use these things because they do not work,” said Mutomba.

An eyewitnesses at the scene said: “It is an act of witchcraft used by many people thinking that they would be rich if they use those goblins. That’s why they keep them. But if you see it abandoned like this it would have become a problem to the owner.”

Mutomba said: “A lot of these things happen and the people never go far with them. Throwing it away like this means they couldn’t handle it anymore.”

For those who don't know, this is a Zamboni. You use it to make a nice surface on an artificial ice rink. Every arena in North America has one.

That includes the East Calgary (Alberta, Canada) Twin Arenas. That facility is lucky, though, that manager Ross Harris was on the alert Thursday afternoon.

As he was working alone in his office, he noticed the arena's Zamboni, which was parked inside, on the move. "I happened to glance at the security camera monitor," he said "when I saw the Zamboni going outside. I really wondered what was going on!"

On investigating, Harris found two men, apparently drunk, trying to use the Zamboni to push their car off an icy patch of pavement. One of the men had walked into the building and broken into the garage area where the ice-grooming machine was parked.

Rather than offering an apology, they asked Harris if he had a truck or tow rope to help them free their car. Telling them he was going inside to get a shovel, he told co-workers to call the cops.

About five minutes later, the Calgary police were there and had the pissed partiers in custody. Using the knowledge of criminal behaviour for which the police are famous, Sgt. Kelly Oberg said alcohol appeared to be a factor.

The tanked twosome appeared in court today, charged with the most Canadian of crimes — trying to steal a Zamboni.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Walt's attention has been drawn to this picture, which may well explain why Little Mosque on the Prairie keeps getting renewed. (See previous post.)

Shown at the "Innovators Ball" in May of last year are the diminutive (referring to his talent) Zaib Shaikh, "star" of Little Mosque. On his arm -- or is it the other way around? -- is Kristine Layfield. Ms Layfield is Head of Programming at CBC.

As the prophet said, one picture is worth a thousand words.

Note from Ed.: You have to admire Walt's restraint in not going for the cheap joke based on Kristine's surname.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation -- known across Canada as "the Corp" [corpse, surely! Ed.] -- has released its fecal roster: "17 RETURNING SHOWS FOR THE 2011-12 SEASON" Even if you ignore the block capitals and the bad grammar, the announcement is not exactly BIG NEWS. It ranks right up there with "CBC INVESTIGATION CATCHES BEAR DEFECATING IN WOODS" and "CBC REVEALS POPE HAS CATHOLIC LEANINGS".

One of the "shows" which is being renewed for a 40th season [Is this right? Doesn't it just seem like 40? Ed.] is the truly execrable Little Mosque on the Prairie, which Walt has excorciated before as the paradigm of the Canadian failure at sitcoms.

The premise of Little Mosque is ludicrous, the writing lame and the acting cataleptic. Audience numbers are said to be lower than Bev Oda's IQ. Walt hears that sponsors are forced to buy it as part of packages with better-rated programmes. So why does it keep getting renewed?

The only reason I can think of is that to cancel it would be politically incorrect -- a slap in the face to muticulturalism, which in spite of its admitted failure in other countries is still the official policy of the government of Canada -- and therefore the CBC.

Those in the Toronto area who still listen to the radio are treated to CBC Toronto's no less PC Metro Morning, which will not rest until it has interviewed every single vizmin and LGBT spokesthingy in the Wormy Apple. Why? Because CBC must "sound like Toronto looks". No kidding. They use that as an advertising tag line.

Will the insanity never stop? Rumour has it that the Corpse's next announcement will be a change of name to The Multicultural Network Canada -- a "TMN" to compete with CNN and TSN. PBUT.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Speaking of African belief in the supernatural (see yesterday's review of V.S. Naipaul's The Masque of Africa), The Economist reports this week that 80% of South Africans describe themselves as Christians, and two-thirds believe that the Bible, as the Word of God, should be interpreted literally. A politician would be foolish not to build God ... or the gods ... into his campaign oratory.

Looks notwithstanding, South Africa's president, Jacob Zuma, is no fool. Here's what he said to an African National Congress election rally on February 5th.

"When you vote for the ANC, you are choosing to go to heaven. When you don't vote for the ANC, you should know that you are choosing that man who carries a fork, ...who cooks people."

Mr. Zuma, who happens to be a "lay pastor" of an evangelical Protestant sect, assured the party faithful that "when you are carrying an ANC membership card, you are blessed. When you get up there, there are different cards used, but when you have an ANC card, you will be let through to heaven."

And if you don't have an ANC card? What if you should defect to the opposition? Then "you will struggle until you die. The ancestors of this land...will turn their backs on you."

So in one short speech President Zuma invoked the Christian deity and the spirits of the ancestors. He missed Allah, but there aren't as many Muslims in South Africa as in, say, Nigeria. The backing of God and the ancestors should be enough to get the ANC its customary overwhelming majority.

Walt spent several hours, this weekend, reading The Masque of Africa, by V.S. Naipaul. (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2010). Not much of Naipaul's work since he won the Nobel Prize for Literature has appealed to me, but this latest book is an exception.

For the moment, Naipaul has left off writing philosophical novels and returned to the travel genre, which he does so well. He also returns to Africa, where he lived decades ago, and which is the site of one of his best books, A Bend in the River.

Although The Masque of Africa could be described as a travelogue of Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Gabon and South Africa, the book has a much larger narrative and purpose: to discover and describe "the nature of African belief".

The author looks at the influence of Christianity and Islam -- mercifully, he avoids the phrase "the mosque of Africa" -- and judges those foreign religions a thin veneer over the cults of animism, superstition and witchcraft which are still at the core of "modern" African society and culture.

Naipaul writes: "An unspoken aspect of my inquiry was the possibility of the subversion of old Africa by the ways of the outside world.... The older world of magaic felt fragile, but at the same time had an enduring quality. You felt that it would survive any calamity.

"I had expected that over the great size of Africa, the practices of magic would significantly vary. But they didn't. The diviners everywhere wanted to 'throw the bones' to read the future, and the idea of 'energy' remained a constant, to be tapped into by the ritual sacrifice of body parts.

"In South Africa, body parts, mainly of animals, but also of men and women, made a mixture of 'battle medicine'. To witness this, to be given some idea of its power, was to be taken far back to the beginning of things. To reach that beginning was the purpose of my book."

Although Naipaul comes across as increasingly tired and tetchy in his old age -- not unlike Walt -- he does a truly masterly job of showing why Third World peoples who refuse to abandon their ancestral illusions for the civilised values of the West are condemned to backwardness.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Canadian reaction to British Prime Minister Cameron's "multiculturalism has failed" speech has been strangely muted. The Land of the Maple Leafs [Is this right? Ed.] seems to be the last bastion of political correctness. No politician of any stripe has recognized the vote-gathering potential of standing up for Canadian values. Either that, or they're waiting for someone to define "Canadian values" for them.

Step forward Michael Den Tandt. Writing in the Sun newspapers today, Mr. Den Tandt arguess that the Oath of Citizenship should be amended "to include a vow to uphold values of tolerance, liberty and gender equality."

While I can think of some additions to or subtractions from Mr. DT's list, I agree with the concept. Surely there must be some values which are shared by the majority. Why is it that none of Canada's "leaders" wants to stand up for the things that Canucks hold dear?

Den Tandt accuses the Conservatives of being afraid of alienating communities they're "working hard to woo". He means (amongst others) the Sikhs whose bloc vote controls half a dozen ridings in the western Greater Toronto Area and another three or four in British Columbia's Lower Mainland.

Sikhism requires male believers to wear, along with turbans and special underpants, ceremonial daggers called kirpans. This makes some non-Sikhs nervous, especially when the Sikhs want to wear their kirpans into government chambers in which their rights are being discussed.

You can't bring a weapon into Canada's Parliament Buildings, or the Ontario or British Columbia legislatures. Unless, of course, you're a Sikh. Then it's OK because... errr... no-one wants any vizmins to be offended, lest they fail to vote in the desired way.

Except in Québec. To the chagrin of The Rest of Canada -- especially PM Steve Harpoon -- Québec's Assemblée Nationale voted this week to ban the wearing of kirpans in their building. Voted nem con.* Unanimously too.

Only in Québec, it seems, are people unafraid to stand up and be counted for values shared by the majority, even when they conflict with the "rights" of a minority. Strange, eh!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The following is adapted from a communiqué of the Society of Saint Pius X District of Germany on the beatification of Pope John Paul II, which is to take place in Rome on May 1st.

What are we to think of this rapid beatification? You often hear remarks such as, “He was a great devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” or even “He was very clear on questions concerning the protection of human life,” but are these sufficient to set up his work in its entirety as an example for the Church today?

His pontificate was marred by a pronounced ecumenism. John Paul will thus enter history as the pope of humanism and of fraternity among religions.

He preached a special path of salvation for the people of the Old Testament, kissed the Koran in public, and used expressions that scandalized committed Catholics to the depths of their souls, such as the wish, “May Saint John the Baptist protect Islam.”

His gathering in Assisi has become the symbol of the meeting of all religions and introduced in the minds of Christians the “values” of freethinkers, where they are now deeply rooted. One could call that “heresy by image”: All religions lead to God. This is diametrically opposed to the words of Sacred Scripture: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned” [St. Mark 16:16].

We must not forget the gigantic concelebrations, nor should we deny the liturgical abuses during pontifical Masses which, to a certain extent, have caused a liturgical collapse hitherto unknown and have propagated in all the local Churches abuses that cry out to Heaven!

Is that a pontificate that deserves a beatification?

To defend the Faith in all circumstances against error and thereby to unify and guide Christ’s flock—that is the Lord’s command to Saint Peter, which is still valid today.

Reuters reports that a Polish legislator, Robert Wegrzyn of the ruling Civic Platform, apologized today for a joke he made about gays and lesbians. Here is the joke.

Asked yesterday by a TV commentator for his views on homosexuals forming legal civic partnerships, Mr. Wegrzyn said, “We can forget about gay men, but I would gladly watch lesbians.”

End of joke. Now for Walt's Polack joke of the day. Question: How many Polacks does it take to tell a funny joke? Answer: Obviously more than one.

Nevertheless... Mr. Wegrzyn's comments drew criticism from the usual gang of wimmin’s and LGTB groups, forcing Wegrzyn to say he was sorry for any offence he may have caused.

But, he added, “human beings are made in such a way that we should live in a partnership according to nature. If somebody wants to live differently, that’s his problem but he should not flaunt it.” No joke.

From Hong Kong, Agent 78 forwards a report from The Standardon the recall from bookstore shelves of a Chinese edition of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm. Reason? Stories like "Snow White" were considered pornographic, unsuitable for children.

Snow what? "Snow White"? Pornographic? Well, errr, maybe not in the original, but the publishers, in a search for fidelity to the text, had translated into Chinese a previous translation from the original German into Japanese. Turns out that translation, by Kiryu Misao, was intended for the adult market.

In Misao's version of the classic "Snow White", the heroine is hunted by her stepmother after committing incest with her faither. She has sexual relations with all seven of the dwarfs. Then, after she dies, a necrophiliac prince has sexual intercourse with her to bring her back to life.

A spokesman for the publisher said, "The book was not supposed to be read by children, but it was put on the children's literature shelf, so we asked to pull it."

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out.

Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target.

Dear Mrs. Samuel,Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Samuel, are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.

July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, "Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away." This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.

August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.

August 8: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department, to which twenty children obliged.

August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.

September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.

October 10: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled "PICK ME! PICK ME!"

October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed "OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"

And last, but not least:

October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, "Hey! There's no toilet paper in here." One of the clerks passed out.

Tarek Fatah, founder of the Muslim Canadian Congress, was quoted in the Toronto Sun to the effect that Cameron was “spot on” when he insisted state-mandated multiculturalism has failed in the UK. And the policy will fail in Canada too, Fatah said, for the same reasons.

Mr. Fatah expressed the view that, like Britain, Canada has been too tolerant in allowing Muslim immigrants to settle into closed communities, some of which preach Islamic values and a hatred toward the West.

"The Canadian multicultural model has failed, as the British model has,” said Fatah. “When first generation (Muslims) are more loyal to Canada than the second generation, then we have sufficient evidence to say that multiculturalism has failed."

He went on to say that Canada’s federal governments -- both Liberal and Conservative -- have pushed a "tolerant, passive form of multiculturalism" as a way of preserving votes. But the result, he said, is that "the newcomer finds solace in his or her own community...and when there is state-sponsored multiculturalism, there are people who make money out of the marginalization of these people."

The Sun also quoted Bernie Farber of the Canadian Jewish Congress, as saying that pockets of younger immigrants -- particularly Muslims -- have been slow to integrate into a Canadian way of life.

"(They) are not moving forward as quickly as we did in generations past," said Farber. He cited the tendency of Muslims to live together in the same geographic area. "They have not yet seemed to be able to break out entirely from that one area and become part of the Canadian fabric," he added.

The Sun did not say if Mr. Farber was speaking from his home in Forest Hill.

Footnote: From my previous post on David Cameron's speech, I left out one piece of wisdom. Mr. Cameron said he thought it would be helpful if all immigrants to Britain were required to learn English. Now there's a novel idea!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Normally, Walt has no time whatsoever for entertainment news. Come to think of it, "entertainment news" is an oxymoron.

However, a story on Canoe.ca about Kim Kardashian [Who she? Ed.] caught my eye. Actually it was the picture that caught my eye. Yours too? I put it there to save you clicking on the link.

Seems Kim is outraged to discover that posing nude for W magazine leads to ... a nude photospread in W magazine!Who knew?

Apparently not Kim. Quote: "Oh my God, I'm more naked than I was in Playboy. I'm so mad right now. They promised I would be covered with artwork -- you can see nipple! The whole concept was sold to me that nothing would be seen. I feel so taken advantage of ... I'm never taking my clothes off again, even if it's for Vogue."

So Kim's learned a hard lesson. Who said brains and beauty don't go together?!

Things are quieter in Cairo today. The camel jockeys have dismounted to sit down for a little talk. The newly installed Vice-President, Omar Suleiman [Before his appointment, was he a tent-maker? Just asking. Ed.] is meeting with representatives of opposition groups to discuss a roadmap for "reforms to put the country on a path toward greater democracy".

Walt told you a few days ago that the Muslim Brotherhood -- officially banned in Egypt and identified as a terrorist organization -- would try to position itself as leaders of the "popular revolution". Their aim, in a word, is to change Egypt from a secular state to an Islamic state ... like Iran.

Sure enough, the Brotherhood, now recognized as Egypt's largest opposition group, was at the meeting, along with a number of smaller "leftist, liberal" groups, according to Egyptian state television.

Earlier, the Brotherhood said in a statement that its representatives would meet with Vice-President Omar Suleiman to press its "legitimate and just demands." Presumably their demands would include the imposition of Sharia law. See previous posts.

Mr. Suleiman, however, has accused the Brotherhood, businessmen and unidentified "foreigners" as being behind the wave of looting and arson that swept much of the country last weekend after security forces inexplicably deserted the streets.

There is talk now of a coalition between the Mubarak government and the Muslim Brotherhood. If you want to know how that would work, imagine a coalition between the Pope and the Ayatollah Khomeini.

It's an old political ploy. First you organize demonstrations to show that the people support you and not the government. Then you offer to work with the government to "find a consensus" and "bring prosperity and peace" to your country. Finally, once you've got your bum on the edge of the throne, you keep pushing and pushing until the other guy falls off.

That's what's happening in Egypt now. What is the West going to do about it? Errr, probably not much.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Agent 78 alerted Walt to the opening of a new restaurant in the exotic city of Kunming, capital of China's Yunnan province. The restaurant is, it must be said, even more exotic than the city. Welcome to Modern Toilet Restaurant!

As you can see, diners at the Modern Toilet eat on seats converted from western-style toilets. (Chinese toilets are not designed for sitting on.) Urinals are turned into decorative wall lamps. And please note the design of the cushions on the seat backs. Yes, that's "Happy Poo"!

Owner Xu Liang says the restaurant has proved more popular than expected with students, in particular, keen to try the experience. Yang Siwen is a regular customer, having eaten at the restaurant three times since it opened two weeks ago. “I originally went in because I thought it was a toilet but then discovered it was a restaurant and decided to give it a try,” she said.

First it was German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Now it's David Cameron, Prime Minister of the Disunited Kingdom. Speaking to a security conference in Munich, Mr. Cameron has had the courage to say plainly what most Britons feel but don't dare say: state multiculturalism has failed.

Something must be done quickly, he said, to heal divisions in the country and "promote Western values". Mr. Cameron failed to equate Western values and Christian values, a glaring omission in Walt's opinion. Why? Because Mr. Cameron's chief worry is the radicalization of young Muslims and other marginalized elements in British society.

In the UK, as elsewhere, it's not the white, nominally Christian kids who are putting gunpowder in their shorts and plotting attacks on subways and office towers. It's the Muslims who are taking to the streets to either pray to Allah or demonstrate against the Western societies whose guests they are.

Mr. Cameron called for Britain and other European nations to “wake up to what is happening in our countries” as well as tackling terrorism through military operations overseas. “It is time to turn the page on the failed policies of the past,” he went on. “Instead of ignoring this extremist ideology [Islamic fundamentalism], we – as governments and societies – have got to confront it, in all its forms.”

And there's more. Mr. Cameron also said, “Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism, we have encouraged different cultures to live separate lives, apart from each other and the mainstream. We have failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong ... All this leaves some young Muslims feeling rootless.”

Mr. Cameron stopped short of calling on the Muslim yoof to go back to Pakistan or Iraq or Afghanistan in search of their roots. Rather, he said, it was time to replace Britain’s “passive tolerance” with an “active, muscular liberalism” to send a message that life in Britain revolves around certain key values such as freedom of speech, equal rights and the rule of law.

The Prime Minister did not go into specifics of what should be done if the Muslims refuse to accept and abide by those "key values". Walt wishes him -- and Britain -- good luck with the "active, muscular liberalism" thing.

Scenes from Cairo remind Walt of Lawrence of Arabia. People charging around, waving swords, mounted on horses and, yes, even camels. Apparently we can't yet ban the term "camel jockey" as politically incorrect.

Here's a fascinating photo, showing one of the demonstrators sporting the latest in revolutionary headgear. Yes, it's bread. Just the thing to wear in the middle of a riot.

Consider the benefits. If someone hits you upside the head with a baton or the broad side of a sword, the baguette acts as a shock absorber. You could shove it in the mouth of someone cheering for the other side. Or if you get hungry, you could eat it yourself. Brilliant.

Friday, February 4, 2011

The following story comes from Canadian TV network CTV. Walt has abbreviated it somewhat, and deleted the name of the perpetrator of not one but two murders.

A man from the Vancouver area has been found guilty of second-degree murder more than four years after his pregnant wife was found dead in a Lower Mainland waterway.

On Friday just before midday, the British Columbia Supreme Court also found [the man] guilty of tampering with a dead body. His wife was several months into her pregnancy when she died.

The court heard evidence that security cameras captured [the man] buying a lighter on the night that his wife vanished. He had told police that he was at home all evening. A pathologist in the trial testified that the victim was most likely strangled and then burned before being dumped in the water near Delta, B.C.

During the trial, the court was told that [the man] behaved strangely and had been inconsistent with police. Prosecutors said that [the man] attempted to feign concern about his wife's disappearance while attempting to cover up his crime. The court was told that he inundated police with calls about possible suspects, including the victim's brother.

Walt's follow-up questions: What do you suppose would motivate someone in his right mind -- for apparently insanity was not raised as a defence at the trial -- to do such a terrible thing? Do you suppose it had anything to do with the gender of the unborn child?

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Do you think Walt is pulling your leg when he suggests that fundamentalist Muslims want to spread Sharia law throughout the world? Not just the Islamic countries, but everywhere? It's the truth.

Do you think the revolution -- not too strong a word -- in Egypt is all about democracy? Do you doubt that the Muslim Brotherhood is taking over the popular protests against the secular Mubarak regime? That's the truth too.

Much of the Egyptian population that in recent days has rebelled against the autocratic regime of Hosni Mubarak says that it prefers democracy to any other form of government.

At the same time, however, and by an overwhelming majority, they want those who commit adultery to be stoned, thieves to have their hands cut off, and those who abandon the Muslim religion -- especially those who convert to Christianity -- to be put to death.

Perhaps that is why President Obama [who we know for sure is not a Muslim. ed.] has been so reluctant to join in the demand that Mubarak resign immediately. Until yesterday.

Now America and the rest of the West seem to be wavering. Maybe Mubarak should go -- with dignity of course, but above all, quickly -- so a popular Islamic government can be put in place. Along with Sharia law. Just like in Iran.

Yesterday Walt gave you the link to a video posted on YouTube by Live Action -- a leading pro-life group -- in which we saw the director of a New Jersey Planned Parenthood clinic providing "expert" advice for a pimp, letting him know how best to avoid detection of his prostitution ring and his exploitation of underage girls.

You would think that Planned Parenthood might issue an apology or at least a disclaimer. Well, lots of crocodile tears have been flowing, but PP is still in deep denial about the morality of its real mission.

None more so than Stuart Schear, the vice-president of the Planned Parenthood Federation. When confronted with the video of Live Action's sting, Schear attacked the motivations of those who made the report! The Live Action team had pretended to be involved in illegal activities, he observed: "Falsely claiming sex trafficking to health professionals to advance a political agenda is an astoundingly cynical form of political activity."

In today's report of this astounding reaction, Catholic Culture asks whether Mr. Schear understands that Live Action is trying to save young girls from sexual abuse. Does he see that as nothing more than an effort to "advance a political agenda"?

And, Catholic Culture adds, if people are cynical about the work of Planned Parenthood, they're nowhere near as cynical as the people doing that work.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Still don't believe Planned Parenthood promotes abortion and other illegal and immoral activities? Still think Planned Parenthood is motivated by altruistic concerns for women's health? Watch this video sting!

You'll see the manager of a Planned Parenthood clinic in New Jersey providing advice and support for a man posing as a pimp, claiming to work with underage prostitutes.

You'll hear the Planned Parenthood employee advising the “pimp” to lie about the age of girls seeking abortions. “We want as little information as possible,” she says. She also offers suggestions as to the best ways of running the pimp's hos -- how the young girls can practise the oldest profession.

Live Action has sent the video to US Attorney General Eric Holder, suggesting a full-scale investigation. Said Lila Rose, President of Live Action, “This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Planned Parenthood intentionally breaks state and federal laws and covers up the abuse of the young girls it claims to serve.” Said Mr. Holder... ... ... err, nothing...

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Louis XV, king of France, said that. Charles de Gaulle isn't known to have said it, but must surely have thought it. Both of them believed that after they were gone, all hell would break loose.

That is what the West fears will happen when Egypt's dictator, Hosni Mubarak, is deposed, as he will be within the week. (Remember that Walt told you so. Lifetime average: .973.) Even the Jews fear that he will be replaced by someone or something even worse, perhaps another ayatollah.

Today nearly a quarter of a million angry people thronged the downtown streets of Cairo in a demonstration the likes of which have never been seen in Egypt before. Some had signs reading "Your plane is waiting!"

It will not be enough for Mubarak to resign. He will have to leave the country, like his Tunisian counterpart. Canadian embassy officials are doubtless waiting at the airport to process his refugee application.

Who will replace him? Who will be in charge? There's one phrase on everyone's lips now: "the Muslim Brotherhood".

Reports are that in Muslim Brotherhood -- Islamic fundamentalists who constitute Egypt's only real opposition -- did not foment the demonstrations. But they know a good thing when they see it. In the fashion of good politicians, having determined which way the people are going, they are quickly running around to get at the head of the parade.

To have a large country run by Muslim extremists -- another Iran -- in charge of the Suez Canal is causing Western leaders to wet their pants with worry. That's why nobody, right up to President Al O'Bama, has mentioned Mubarak by name, let alone suggest that he ought to go while the going is good.

As for the Israelis, the prospect of having a militant Arab state right next door scares them spitless. If there's a rematch of the 1967 war, it won't be a six-day affair this time. And the result could well be the erasure of Israel from the map.

Or it could be the Armageddon, the final battle predicted in the Apocalypse. Better start reading your Bible, friends. And saying your prayers. This could be the start of the big one. You laugh? It's got to happen sometime. God told us it will, and God will not be mocked.

Footnote: If you choose not to believe the Christian prophecies, how about the suddenly famous Mayan calendar? December 12, 2012 could be D-day, as in Doomsday.

About Me

Working-class Americans have been screwed by immigration, globalization, and adventurist foreign policies, perpetuated by both parties, at the bidding of the (((donors))) who have benefited from them most. Economic disruption and wage stagnation, fuelled in large part by globalization, are at the heart of the nation's problems. President Trump must remember this if he hopes to win a second term.